I enjoyed this book. The text is well written and easy to read. The accompanying illustrations are wonderful. It is a short quick read and I did wish there was more. Enjoy.

Not long before WWII, showman Ike Rose, following in the footsteps of P T Barnum and Florenz Ziegfeld, brought together a troupe of “midgets”, as they were then known, and created a travelling company he called Rose’s Royal Midgets. This is the story of that troupe. Rose himself died in 1935 but his vaudeville act thrived for another 25 years. It’s a compelling story and gives voice to the many Little People who performed with the troupe. They were incredibly popular and performed all over the world. Now nearly forgotten, the book brings them, deservedly, back into the public eye, and although attitudes to such “freak shows” have changed, accords them due respect. Wonderfully illustrated throughout, and meticulously researched, I found the book a deeply compelling and endlessly fascinating read.

While this book wasn't bad it was severely lacking in actual commentary. Your pretty much get chapters discussing histories little people before it turns into page after page of different photos. Now if you want a book that you can put on your coffee table and flip to a page and not worry about missing anything than this book is good. I was just expecting more out of it. Or I guess for it to say anything.

Rose’s Royal Midgets

Obviously, I was aware that I was going to have problem (as James Taylor in the introduction to this book states) with the application or misapplication of the terminology surrounding the history of carnivals and vaudeville - Freak, Midget, Sideshow etc. But the book does mostly use the preferred term ‘Little People’ throughout.
This book charts the popularity of the travelling troupes of Little People performers who were so popular in the late 19th/early 20th Century. Mostly focussing on Ike Rose’s troupe.
Includes some great pamphlets from the time and lots of photographs by Charles Eissenman.
A short book, but fascinating nonetheless.
* Thanks to Vaudevisuals Press and Netgalley for the ARC.

Thanks to the publishers for sharing this one. I really liked looking at all the vintage photos and programmes from the time. My full review appears on Weekend Notes.

Incredibly fascinating read into the lives of Little People (or midgets) in Victorian times. I found the bills and programmes especially interesting as to how the vaudeville acts were marketed to the public.
Whilst it is not considered tasteful or correct in modern times, during this era it was big business - for the tour managers. Anyone from general white-collar public to Queen Victoria was entertained by performances which led to some of the entertainers reaching celebrity status.

I recommend this to anyone interested in the weird and wonderful history of the 19th century.